Coombs Cashes In with Return to Ohio State
Kerry Coombs did not simply return home when he went to Ohio State.
To borrow from The Jeffersons, he moved on up.
The former Tennessee Titans secondary coach will earn $1.4 million this season as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator, which nearly triples his salary from the last time he coached in Columbus, Ohio. That makes him the highest-paid assistant on coach Ryan Day’s staff and one of four OSU staff members who will earn at least $1 million this season.
The school released contract details for the 10 full-time football assistants Monday. All told, those 10 staff members will earn $7.94 million, not counting potential performance bonuses.
Coombs, one of two new coaches among the 10, signed a two-year pact that runs through Jan. 31, 2022. That deal likely places him among the top 20 highest-paid assistants in college football for the coming season.
According to the USA Today database of coaching salaries, 13 college football assistants made $1.4 million or more in 2019. Ohio State’s highest-paid was co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who earned $1.1 million. Mattison will make $1.133 million in 2020.
Coombs earned $500,000 as Ohio State’s cornerbacks coach in 2017, his sixth season on the staff. That was the longest he had stayed anywhere during his career, which began in 1983 in the Ohio high school ranks.
He joined the Titans in 2018, Mike Vrabel’s first season as head coach. He directed the secondary for the past two seasons. In 2019, the Titans’ defense collected 19 interceptions, its highest total in seven years. Twelve of the 14 came from defensive backs.
Ohio State announced Coombs’ addition a day after Tennessee lost to Kansas City in the AFC Championship.
“He got a great opportunity to go to Ohio State and call plays,” safety Kevin Byard said at the time. “I can understand that. … I told him, ‘Congratulations.” I’m proud of him.
“I think his group of men that he has, and he is going to be able to coach is going to be super happy and super proud and they’re going to play super hard for him – just like we did.”
Whatever they do, Coombs will be well-compensated.
